1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a roller skate carrier for releasably receiving, retaining, carrying and hanging a pair of roller skates when they are not in use.
2. Prior Art
The problem of providing a relatively simple and inexpensive means for transporting a pair of roller skates and/or for hanging skates to store them has not been adequately solved by prior proposals. While carrying cases and various other devices have been proposed to facilitate the transportation and storage of roller skates, devices embodying prior proposals have suffered from drawbacks such as being unduly large in size, inconvenient to use and expensive to make.
One recent proposal has provided an essentially three-part structure formed from plastics material having a handle with a finger-grip slot formed therethrough. A pair of relatively complexly configured arm members, each having two integrally formed hook-shaped portions, are movably connected to the handle by a shaft. The shaft is formed integrally with one of the double-hook-shaped arm members, extends through a hole formed in the handle, and is received in a hole formed in the other of the double-hook-shaped arm members.
One problem with a skate carrier of the type embodying this recent prior proposal is that the complexly configured double-hook-shaped arm members directly abut opposite sides of the handle and cannot be moved relatively inwardly along the shaft to permit their hook-shaped arms to be received between inside surfaces of a pair of relatively closely spaced skate wheels. Accordingly, such a carrier is not adjustable for use with skates of a wide variety of sizes. Moreover, if the hook-shaped arms of one pair are deformed toward each other in an effort to permit these arms to be inserted between the inner wheel surfaces of the rear wheels of one skate, the other arms of the other pair are caused to bend correspondingly away from each other thereby rendering more difficult the later deformation of these other hook-shaped arms when one wants to fit them between the inner wheel surfaces of the rear wheels of the other skate.
A further deficiency of the recent prior skate carrier proposal is the manner in which a detent is attempted to be formed between the double-hook-shaped arm members and the handle of the carrier. The handle is provided with a single recess into which a projection formed on one of the arm members is intended to extend when the arm members are positioned to overlie the handle. The operation of this detent is not as effective as is desired.
Still another problem with the recent prior proposal is that its single detent is not configured to assist in any way in holding the double-hook-shaped arm members in their extended, operational positions. Accordingly, when one attempts to use the carrier to transport a pair of skates, there is a tendency for the double-hook-shaped arm members to oscillate relative to the handle as one walks with one's arm swinging in a pendulum-type of movement, whereby the skates are not carried in as controlled an attitude as one would desire.
3. The Referenced Carrier Patent
The invention described in the referenced Carrier Patent addresses the problem of providing a novel and improved carrier for use with a garment bag wherein an array of hanger hook portions project from the upper end of the garment bag and must be held together and supported in order to carry the garment bag. The Carrier Patent is of interest only inasmuch as the C-shaped handle described therein is much like the C-shaped handle used with the skate carrier of the present invention.
A carrier embodying the preferred practice of the Carrier Patent invention includes a substantially C-shaped member having upper and lower leg portions which overlie each other and which extend substantially in a common plane. The upper leg portion is of sufficient size and cross section relative to the size of one's hand to effectively distribute the weight of heavily loaded hangers across the width of one's hand. The lower leg portion has a hanger-hook receiving structure defining an opening for releasably receiving and retaining hanger hook portions with their associated hangers extending substantially within the common plane. The receiving structure is located at a position approximately below the center of gravity of the upper leg portion so that the upper leg portion will tend to uniformly load such portions of one's hang as engage it. Carriers of this type enable one to comfortably transport heavily loaded garment bags without excessively stressing one or two fingers as commonly occurs when one tries to directly carry several heavily loaded coat hangers.
The invention of the referenced Carrier Patent does not address the problem of providing a carrier for releasably receiving, retaining, carrying and hanging a pair of roller skates. While handle portions of the invention described in the referenced Carrier Patent are configured much like handle portions employed in the preferred practice of the present invention, the carrier described in the Carrier Patent is not suitable for use with roller skates.